Labor ministry opposes Uber Eats-foodpanda merger in Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) The Ministry of Labor has formally notified the Fair Trade Commission of its stance opposing delivery platform Uber Eats' proposed acquisition of rival service foodpanda in Taiwan, officials said Wednesday.

During a legislative hearing, Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said that she does not support the proposed merger announced by Uber Eats' parent company, Uber Technologies, Inc., in May, in response to lawmakers' questions on her view on the deal.

Ho also told lawmakers that the Ministry of Labor has formally notified the Fair Trade Commission of its opposition and asked to be informed before the regulator begins its review of the proposed merger.

The ministry will oppose the deal until the delivery platforms and the National Delivery Industrial Union reach consensus regarding the union's demands, such as those regarding pay and workers' rights, Wang Hou-wei (王厚偉), head of the ministry's Department of Employment Relations, told CNA later that day.

Meanwhile, the Fair Trade Commission said that all relevant government agencies will be consulted when the proposed merger is ready for review.

The commission explained that it has not been able to begin the regulatory review over the past few months as both foreign companies involved have yet to submit all the required documents.

The proposed merger is subject to regulatory approval by the commission.